Page 142 of Under the Waves

The bat fell to the floor.

I felt the noise of it smacking against the wood deep in my bones.

Everything went quiet for a second and I could finallybreathe.

The sound of the pill bottle cap hitting the wooden floorboards disrupted the silence.

Pills bumped into each other.

A handful scattered in her palm.

Then down her throat.

“Now, if you steal from me again, I’ll make sure it’ll be your face instead of this door, yeah?”

I didn’t mean to take the pills.

They were lying on the floor at the foot of the couch.

My mother’s body was lifelessly draped over it.

I took it without thinking.

I just wanted her to realize she didn’t need them.

Not when she had me.

It didn’t matter, though.

She wanted the drugs,

she just didn’t wantme.

I shook from head to toe, completely and utterlyterrified.

I just wanted my mom back.

Why couldn’t I just have my mom back?

Gathering all the strength I had left, I pushed myself onto my feet and pushed open the small bathroom window. I had to get out of here before she picked up that bat and decided to finish me off for good.

I had to.

Scrambling onto the sink, I hooked one of my legs through the window before pushing my head and upper body through it. Clasping onto the drainage pipes, I swung my other leg though the gap before letting go and jumping down onto the grass. Pain shot through my body, but I brushed it off, along with the dirt staining my knees.

And before I knew it, I was running.

All the houses along my street blurred.

I didn’t know where I was going but I knew I had to get away from there.

Fromher.

I wasn’t going to die.

Not today.

44